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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. firm — a company
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — steady
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — decided
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — army training
  14. season — in sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. court — of a king
  18. drill — the tool
  19. court — for sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — of a plant

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