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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rest — what's left
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pass — a permit
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rest — a break
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. spring — the season
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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