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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.

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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: lean · lie · bark · spell · swing · nail · scale · prune

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — thin
  13. spell — magic
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. scale — for weighing

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