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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. prune — to trim
  6. land — to come down
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — a country
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. fine — all right
  18. tear — to rip
  19. plane — a tool
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — ground

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