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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: can · field · pass · prune · rush · swing · rock · lie

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — to play on
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. can — a tin
  8. lie — to recline
  9. field — a subject
  10. prune — to trim
  11. field — for sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. swing — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — to be able to

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