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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: ground · pass · lie · prune · foot · hand · wind · mug

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pass — a permit
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. ground — a position
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ground — crushed
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. foot — a measure

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