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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. plane — a tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. sharp — clever
  19. pound — a weight
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. staff — employees

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