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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: net · rock · prune · season · lie · dip · swing · wind

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — in sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — to play on
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. swing — music
  10. prune — to trim
  11. dip — to sink
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. season — in sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — a stone
  17. net — for catching
  18. prune — to trim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wind — moving air
  21. season — of the year
  22. net — after costs
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — a sauce

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