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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fall — the season
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. plane — a tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fall — to drop

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