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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — to recline
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. bound — certain
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. prune — to trim
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — completely
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lie — an untruth

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