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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: can · mate · band · prune · pop · perch · root · lie

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. band — a ring
  6. root — the cause
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — a friend
  9. root — of a plant
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pop — to visit
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. root — of a word
  19. can — a tin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. band — a music group

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