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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: club · dip · prune · leaves · sharp · stem · tube · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — clever
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — to come from
  8. club — for dancing
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — a container
  16. club — a group
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. club — for golf
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. prune — to trim
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stem — of a plant

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