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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. band — a music group
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — a tool
  7. march — the month
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. key — in music
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. march — the month
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — an eyelash

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