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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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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: land · lie · rock · ruler · bulb · present · foot · prune

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — to trim
  4. land — a country
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. present — a gift
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bulb — for light
  13. foot — a measure
  14. present — there
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. present — the time now
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rock — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. land — to come down
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — ground

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