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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 · tube · roll · bowl · prune · wake · bound · leaves

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. roll — a list
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — certain
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tube — a container
  21. bound — tied together
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  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