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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 124 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. plane — a tool
  5. roll — a cake
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mate — to breed
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bound — tied together
  22. roll — a list
  23. mate — a partner
  24. temple — a place of worship

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