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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — an amount
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. degree — temperature
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — to fit
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. spring — of water
  24. suit — clothes

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