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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cap — a hat
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — a trace
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. hand — in cards
  14. row — to paddle
  15. track — a path
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. hand — help
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — a grade
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — a lid
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — the fruit

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