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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.

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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 · dip · cabinet · sharp · deal · mug · saw · lie

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. sharp — clever
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — to sink
  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