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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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 — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mug — to rob
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lie — to recline
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mug — a face
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — to cut
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ground — a position
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mug — a cup
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. prune — to trim
  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