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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. plane — a tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mug — to rob
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fall — to drop
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. deal — to handle
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. scale — in music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. scale — size or range
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mug — a cup
  22. fall — the season
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fall — to drop

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