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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: swing · staff · leaves · lie · object · march · roll · prune

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. roll — a list
  3. prune — to trim
  4. object — an aim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — to play on
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. staff — employees
  14. roll — a cake
  15. swing — in golf
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. swing — music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — to protest
  22. march — the month
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lie — an untruth

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