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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lie — to recline
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fall — the season
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. spell — magic
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. prune — to trim
  24. track — to keep track

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