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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · sharp · pitcher · mug · prune · mine · clip · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mine — for digging
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mug — a cup
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mug — a face
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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