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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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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. capital — a city
  9. plane — a tool
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — what's left
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. capital — money
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. nail — on a finger

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