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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a friend
  6. file — a document
  7. prune — to trim
  8. face — to confront
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. season — of the year
  12. face — to point toward
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — a break
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — part of the head
  21. file — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lie — to recline

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