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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rest — a break
  8. shower — to wash
  9. can — a tin
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. row — a line
  12. dip — to sink
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — to tire
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. rest — what's left
  17. prune — to trim
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. row — to paddle

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