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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: lie · lean · racket · prune · coach · mine · trunk · last

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — thin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — to bend
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — final
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a car

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