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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: race · spring · lie · cabinet · suit · stand · prune · hand

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — in cards
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lie — to recline
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — to trim
  11. race — the arms race
  12. suit — clothes
  13. race — a contest
  14. stand — to bear
  15. hand — help
  16. race — humankind
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spring — the season
  20. hand — in cards
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stand — on your feet

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