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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — a match
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — to bear
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. dip — to sink
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. game — wild animals
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bass — low music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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