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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.

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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: lie · hand · ball · prune · jam · kick · degree · nail

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. degree — temperature
  5. prune — to trim
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ball — a dance
  14. degree — from a university
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. kick — in football
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — an untruth

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