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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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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: ground · prune · lie · pop · craft · ball · chest · mouse

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pop — soda
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chest — a box
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pop — to visit
  10. craft — a skill
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ball — a dance
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. ground — a position
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chest — of your body

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