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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. last — finally
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. last — to go on
  8. season — in sport
  9. capital — a city
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. prune — to trim
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. last — final
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. lean — thin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. season — of the year
  24. fan — a supporter

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