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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pop — soda
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kick — in football
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mug — a cup
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mug — a face
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cap — a hat
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — the season
  24. bay — a horse colour

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