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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: prune · cue · rock · lie · plane · field · nail · fine

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rock — a stone
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fine — all right
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. field — a subject
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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