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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.

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 · rock · march · pit · safe · capital · prune · spring

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. march — the month
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pit — in a race
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. march — music
  22. spring — of water
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. spring — the season

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