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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. file — a document
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. content — happy
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bass — low music
  21. file — a line of people
  22. content — the amount
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bass — the fish

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