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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — all right
  4. lean — thin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — of the year
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — high quality
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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