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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 116 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: mug · stick · shower · deal · prune · lie · plane · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — a cup
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mug — a face
  11. spring — a coil
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mug — to rob
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. spring — the season
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. shower — rain
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. plane — a tool

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