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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · prune · row · fall · fine · lie · ground · track

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. row — to paddle
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ground — the earth
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. prune — to trim
  13. row — a line
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. track — to keep track
  17. present — the time now
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — to recline
  24. ground — crushed

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