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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. pitch — completely
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a ring
  16. drill — army training
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. band — a music group
  19. track — to keep track
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. track — a song
  22. plane — a tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. track — a path

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