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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 · dip · prune · tube · chair · straw · bound · cabinet

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. dip — to sink
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. prune — to trim
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bound — tied together
  20. tube — the underground
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. tube — a container
  24. dip — to dunk

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