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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: hide · chest · leaves · lie · rule · prune · plane · deal

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rule — a law
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rule — government
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — of your body
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. lie — to recline
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chest — a box
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. chest — of your body

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