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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.

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: fan · prune · fine · mug · lean · scale · pop · nail

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — to bend
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fine — all right
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pop — soda
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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