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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — the month
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cue — a signal
  16. march — the month
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — rain
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. ground — the earth
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ground — a position
  24. march — music

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