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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tube — a container
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cue — for pool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cue — a hint
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. swing — to play on
  9. content — happy
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cue — a signal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. tube — the underground
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. swing — music
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. content — the amount

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