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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.

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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: last · fan · net · prune · trunk · board · lie · scale

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — to recline
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. net — in sport
  15. last — to go on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. last — final
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. net — for catching

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