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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: board · pop · prune · date · fan · lean · lie · ruler

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lean — thin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. prune — to trim
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pop — music

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