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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — a practice
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. drill — the tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — army training
  12. clip — a video
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pop — to visit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — soda
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. clip — for paper

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