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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. court — for sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. court — of a king
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — the tool
  15. court — of law
  16. prune — to trim
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lie — to recline
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — an untruth

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