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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 120 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: rock · wound · cold · deal · perch · prune · lie · key

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — to handle
  7. key — for a lock
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cold — an illness
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — the most important part
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. key — in music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cold — not warm

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