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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — to trim
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. saw — the tool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. ground — a position
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. prune — to trim
  22. branch — a division
  23. snap — to click
  24. ruler — a monarch

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