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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — to drop
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fall — the season
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. saw — the tool

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