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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. press — to push
  5. club — a group
  6. tube — the underground
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. club — for dancing
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. snap — to click
  22. perch — the fish
  23. plane — a tool
  24. tube — a container

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