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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. net — in sport
  8. scale — size or range
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — a tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hand — in cards
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hand — help
  23. scale — in music
  24. lie — to recline

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