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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · perch · present · spring · lie · field · object · bulb

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. prune — to trim
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. present — the time now
  8. spring — the season
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — an aim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. present — a gift
  19. spring — of water
  20. field — a subject
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spring — a coil

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