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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. clip — for paper
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bank — of a river
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. lean — thin
  21. clip — a video
  22. bank — for money
  23. chair — a leader
  24. clip — to cut

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