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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. net — after costs
  3. row — a line
  4. net — for catching
  5. bass — the fish
  6. perch — the fish
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bass — low music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mark — a grade
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bound — obliged
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — to pay attention

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