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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a tool
  3. mug — a face
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. file — a line of people
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. court — for sport
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mug — a cup
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. court — of law
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — of a king
  19. file — a document
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mug — to rob

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