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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
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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: date · bay · prune · nail · lie · scale · perch · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spring — the season
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. date — the fruit
  22. spring — of water
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. perch — the fish

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