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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mate — to breed
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pass — a permit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. kid — child
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mate — a friend
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pass — to succeed

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