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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: straw · track · stand · pit · prune · lie · vault · mine

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pit — in a race
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. prune — to trim
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stand — to bear
  13. track — a path
  14. pit — a hole
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lie — an untruth

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