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

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pop — to visit
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pop — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pop — soda
  17. fork — in a road
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bank — for money

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