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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. season — in sport
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bass — the fish
  14. chest — a box
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. chest — of your body
  18. season — of the year
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — low music
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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