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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · spring · key · chip · lie · face · hand · file

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. face — to confront
  3. lie — to recline
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chip — for betting
  8. file — a tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. face — part of the head
  12. file — a document
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — in cards
  16. chip — to eat
  17. spring — of water
  18. key — the most important part
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — in music
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — the fruit

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