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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tear — to rip
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pound — a weight
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — of the year
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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