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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: lie · racket · bank · last · board · track · drill · prune

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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 — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. drill — army training
  5. track — a path
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — a committee
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bank — of a river
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. last — final
  19. track — to keep track
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — a song
  23. lie — an untruth
  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