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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 124 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. craft — boats
  7. prune — to trim
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lie — to recline
  24. prune — the fruit

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