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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. prune — to trim
  6. swing — in golf
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. staff — employees
  10. swing — music
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. staff — a stick
  14. swing — to play on
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. prune — to trim
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — in a road
  24. plane — an aircraft

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