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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 116 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: pit · fine · mark · bear · lash · pass · prune · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pit — a hole
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. prune — the fruit

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