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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — to recline
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — a thing
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chest — a box
  17. ball — a dance
  18. object — to protest
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a great time
  23. object — an aim
  24. deal — to handle

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