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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pop — to visit
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — after costs
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. firm — a company
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. firm — steady
  17. pop — music
  18. firm — decided
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pop — soda
  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