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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.

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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: prune · land · last · bulb · hide · dip · lie · object

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. land — a country
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. object — to protest
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — ground
  12. last — final
  13. object — an aim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lie — to recline
  20. last — finally
  21. land — to come down
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. last — to go on
  24. prune — to trim

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