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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · bowl · mark · leaves · prune · foot · last · lie

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. last — to go on
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — a trace
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lie — to recline
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bowl — a football final

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