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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rule — government
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — a law
  13. wake — a trail
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. plane — a tool
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. sharp — clever
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kick — in football
  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