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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 116 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. prune — to trim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — of a river
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spell — letters
  24. prune — to trim

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