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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: board · lie · mine · prune · bat · pass · ball · kick

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. kick — in football
  3. board — a committee
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ball — a dance
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mine — belonging to me

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