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

Word bank: prune · race · pit · lie · present · hide · perch · tube

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — a container
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — the time now
  9. tube — the underground
  10. race — the arms race
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. race — a contest
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — there
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pit — in a race

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