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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stand — to bear
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spell — letters
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. can — a tin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cap — a hat
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cap — a lid
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — on your feet

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