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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. club — for golf
  12. clip — for paper
  13. spell — a short time
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. club — a group
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. clip — to cut
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — a tool
  23. clip — a video
  24. rest — a break

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