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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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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: suit · calf · press · prune · perch · cold · wound · lie

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — newspapers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — to recline
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. perch — the fish
  20. press — a publisher
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. press — to push
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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