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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: prune · plane · rule · patient · bowl · lie · wake · track

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — to recline
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rule — a law
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rule — government
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a song
  19. wake — a trail
  20. track — a path
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — to keep track

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