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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 120 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: pound · prune · lie · land · rest · wave · last · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — ground
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — finally
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rest — a break
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. land — a country
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. land — to come down
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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