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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — a thing
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. plane — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. object — an aim
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — the time now
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. object — to protest
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a car

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