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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 116 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: rush · rash · plane · ruler · lie · prune · spell · clip

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. clip — for paper
  5. spell — a short time
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rash — a series
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spell — letters
  24. rush — a thrill

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