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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. capital — a city
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — money
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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