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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — to recline
  3. object — a thing
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — clothes
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. object — an aim
  11. content — the amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. content — happy
  17. suit — to fit
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. degree — from a university
  22. prune — to trim
  23. sharp — clever
  24. object — to protest

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