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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rule — government
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pop — soda
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bank — for money
  14. rule — a law
  15. pop — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bank — for money
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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