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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stock — goods
  12. pop — soda
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stock — shares
  15. pop — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rest — what's left
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. sharp — with an edge

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