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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 120 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: lie · season · trunk · bowl · straw · prune · capital · drill

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. capital — a big letter
  2. prune — to trim
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — of the year
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. capital — a city
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — army training
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. season — in sport
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. drill — a practice
  22. capital — money
  23. bowl — a football final
  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