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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. row — to paddle
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. track — a song
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — a path
  8. band — a music group
  9. face — part of the head
  10. track — to keep track
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. band — a ring
  16. face — to point toward
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. face — to confront
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pit — a hole

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