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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: mine · prune · wind · suit · fall · rock · pound · staff

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — for digging
  7. suit — to fit
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rock — a stone
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rock — music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — employees
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. staff — employees
  23. pound — a weight
  24. prune — to trim

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