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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. plane — a tool
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cue — a hint
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wound — an injury
  12. squash — the sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ground — a position
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. temple — a place of worship

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