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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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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: spell · rock · safe · prune · bay · lie · current · kid

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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. kid — to tease
  4. prune — to trim
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. current — electric
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. current — happening now
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rock — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rock — a stone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kid — child
  19. spell — magic
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — of water
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. safe — out of danger

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