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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — a break
  4. prune — to trim
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. current — happening now
  8. race — the arms race
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. race — a contest
  11. chest — of your body
  12. current — of water
  13. dip — to sink
  14. current — electric
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. race — humankind
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chest — a box
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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