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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ground — a position
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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