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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: cabinet · fall · prune · bark · face · spring · nail · lie

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — to shout
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — to drop
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. spring — of water
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — part of the head
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spring — the season
  23. fall — the season
  24. face — to confront

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