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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. roll — a list
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fall — to drop
  7. prune — to trim
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rule — government
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. roll — a cake
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — the season
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. fall — to drop

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