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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: chip · lean · pit · prune · ruler · band · bound · plane

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bound — obliged
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chip — for betting
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. lean — thin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bound — certain

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