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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: prune · current · clip · spell · ball · lie · suit · ground

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — the earth
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. ground — a position
  9. prune — to trim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — electric
  14. prune — to trim
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ground — crushed
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. ball — a round shape

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