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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. dip — to sink
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wax — to grow
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. season — of the year
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — a tool
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. season — in sport
  18. swing — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bound — certain
  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