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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — a container
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — a tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. prune — to trim
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. last — finally
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. bass — low music
  23. lean — thin
  24. plane — in geometry

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