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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pop — music
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. snap — to click
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pop — to visit
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fine — all right
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitch — completely
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pop — soda
  24. mine — belonging to me

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