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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: track · prune · foot · chair · stem · rush · lie · bound

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. track — a path
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rush — hurry
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stem — to come from
  10. track — to keep track
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bound — certain
  17. track — a song
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. foot — the bottom

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