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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. prune — to trim
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. scale — size or range
  9. march — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. scale — in music
  13. plane — a tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — to handle
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. march — the month
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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