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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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — a stick
  3. season — of the year
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. can — a tin
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lie — to recline
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cap — a hat

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