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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rash — a series
  13. board — a committee
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. board — to get on
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — a break
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. can — a tin

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