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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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. bay — a horse colour
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fall — to drop
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fall — the season
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. date — the fruit
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — a tight spot

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