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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. file — a document
  6. cap — of ice
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. file — a tool
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cap — a lid
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com