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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 120 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: root · lie · net · bound · pit · prune · hide · fork

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. root — of a plant
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — after costs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. root — of a word
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bound — tied together
  17. root — the cause
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — certain
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pit — a hole

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