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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: prune · can · bark · toast · fall · rest · plane · lie

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fall — the season
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fall — to drop
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bark — to shout
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. can — to be able to

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