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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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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: nail · lie · degree · prune · kick · wave · scale · stick

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — in music
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. degree — from a university
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kick — in football
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. degree — temperature
  22. degree — an amount
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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