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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rule — government
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. staff — employees
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lean — thin
  24. trunk — of a car

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