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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.

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: lie · prune · stick · game · lean · foot · band · spell

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lean — thin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — a short time
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spell — letters
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — to bend
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a ring
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. game — a match

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