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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. prune — to trim
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rock — a stone
  7. band — a ring
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rock — music
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ground — the earth
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. firm — steady
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — a video

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