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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: game · prune · land · tear · bound · stand · lie · suit

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. land — ground
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — to bear
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lie — to recline
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tear — from crying
  17. game — a match
  18. land — a country
  19. suit — in cards
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. land — to come down
  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