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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. board — a committee
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — a list
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — a trail
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. board — to get on
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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