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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. prune — to trim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. file — a document
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. press — newspapers
  17. land — ground
  18. press — to push
  19. perch — the fish
  20. press — a publisher
  21. file — a tool
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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