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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. object — a thing
  4. cold — not warm
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. object — to protest
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. object — an aim
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lean — thin

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