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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. plane — a tool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — to confront
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — part of the head
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — a group
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pop — music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. prune — to trim

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