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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. present — a gift
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. stock — goods
  7. present — the time now
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stock — shares
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. present — there
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kick — in football
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fall — the season

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