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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — in biology
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cell — a phone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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