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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fine — all right
  5. pound — a weight
  6. row — to paddle
  7. spell — magic
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. march — music
  12. spell — letters
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bank — for money
  24. march — the month

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