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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. scale — size or range
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. firm — a company
  8. march — the month
  9. mine — for digging
  10. firm — steady
  11. lean — to bend
  12. scale — in music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lean — thin
  17. firm — decided
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. march — the month
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. plane — in geometry

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