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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.

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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: tube · club · lean · lie · leaves · bowl · prune · cap

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. club — a group
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cap — of ice
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — a hat
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. lie — to recline
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. club — for golf
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — a lid
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lean — thin
  24. prune — the fruit

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