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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.

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: mine · hide · rock · prune · present · lash · season · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. band — a ring
  9. season — of the year
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. present — there
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — the time now
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. present — a gift
  22. season — in sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rock — music

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