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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. squash — the sport
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — the fish
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — a container
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cap — a hat
  20. season — in sport
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. prune — to trim
  24. squash — the vegetable

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