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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spell — a short time
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spell — letters
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. plane — a tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to bend
  24. cabinet — ministers

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