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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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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: kid · pit · track · prune · toast · rest · rock · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — bread
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — music
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rest — what's left
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. track — a path
  12. rest — a break
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a song
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rock — a stone
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. kid — to tease
  20. track — to keep track
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kid — child
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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