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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: leaves · prune · spring · lie · stand · mate · wake · patient

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — a trail
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mate — to breed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stand — to bear
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. leaves — lets stay

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