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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — a hint
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fine — all right
  5. hand — in cards
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. can — a tin
  10. cue — for pool
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cue — a signal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. hand — help
  20. can — to be able to
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — a tool
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fine — high quality

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