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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 124 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. file — a line of people
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a match
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. cap — a hat
  15. file — a document
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rock — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. foot — a measure
  20. file — a tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rock — to move gently

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