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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — the fruit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. prune — to trim
  13. present — there
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a ring
  20. present — the time now
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a music group
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. present — a gift

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