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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: racket · fall · saw · lie · prune · tube · stick · season

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. season — of the year
  7. lie — to recline
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fall — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — a container
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

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