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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fine — high quality
  4. snap — to click
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — a price
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — to bend
  17. kid — child
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. charge — electricity
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. charge — in control
  23. kid — to tease
  24. prune — the fruit

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