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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lie — to recline
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. row — a line
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spell — magic
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. spell — letters
  20. chip — to eat
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chip — for betting
  23. hand — in cards
  24. wax — to grow

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