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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.

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: lie · prune · field · clip · cue · press · hide · nail

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. press — a publisher
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. clip — for paper
  5. cue — a hint
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — to push
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. field — a subject
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — a video
  16. field — for sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — farmland
  22. cue — a signal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. prune — to trim

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