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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — the amount
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rest — a break
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tube — the underground
  7. swing — music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — to play on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. content — happy
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rush — hurry

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