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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 120 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
468
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: present · craft · ruler · prune · field · tube · lie · trunk

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — the time now
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. tube — a container
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. present — there
  14. prune — to trim
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — a gift
  24. tube — in a tire

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