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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wound — an injury
  8. charge — in control
  9. sharp — clever
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. charge — a price
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lean — thin
  21. charge — electricity
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mine — an explosive
  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