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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. degree — an amount
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rock — a stone
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pop — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rock — music

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