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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: bowl · lean · prune · mate · chip · band · suit · saw

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — for betting
  12. band — a music group
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. band — a ring
  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