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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: lie · season · prune · bore · mine · suit · root · land

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. root — of a plant
  9. land — ground
  10. suit — in cards
  11. root — the cause
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. root — of a word
  14. season — of the year
  15. bore — to drill
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. land — a country
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. land — to come down
  24. mine — an explosive

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