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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 120 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: rule · face · snap · lie · pop · scale · prune · fine

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pop — soda
  11. prune — to trim
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fine — high quality
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. snap — to click
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — all right
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pop — to visit
  20. scale — in music
  21. face — to confront
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rule — government
  24. scale — size or range

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