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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spring — the season
  4. lean — to bend
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — thin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cell — a phone
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. scale — size or range
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spring — of water
  20. prune — to trim
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ruler — a monarch

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