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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: land · lie · cue · present · lean · tear · key · prune

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. present — there
  3. key — for a lock
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. present — the time now
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tear — from crying
  8. key — in music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — ground
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. land — to come down
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — a country
  19. cue — a hint
  20. present — a gift
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lean — thin
  24. lie — an untruth

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