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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: can · key · nail · prune · ruler · lie · pop · staff

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — for a lock
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — to visit
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — in music
  11. pop — soda
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lie — to recline
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. can — a tin
  22. staff — employees
  23. prune — to trim
  24. can — a tin

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