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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 116 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — a tool
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. branch — a division
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rest — a break
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. kid — to tease
  19. season — in sport
  20. pass — a permit
  21. season — of the year
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kid — child
  24. branch — of a bank

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