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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — for catching
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — to trim
  11. spring — the season
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. lie — to recline
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pit — a hole
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spring — of water
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lie — an untruth

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