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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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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: prune · roll · pass · date · mine · spring · lean · pit

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pass — a permit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spring — of water
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lean — thin
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — a list
  14. date — the fruit
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. prune — to trim
  21. roll — a cake
  22. pit — in a race
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mine — belonging to me

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