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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: lean · prune · current · bore · squash · lie · cap · content

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. squash — the sport
  3. content — the amount
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — thin
  14. prune — to trim
  15. current — happening now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — happy
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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