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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.

Make a worksheet

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: lie · mug · rock · cue · march · prune · trunk · fall

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. prune — to trim
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — music
  16. march — music
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mug — a face
  19. rock — a stone
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fall — the season

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