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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. roll — a list
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. prune — to trim
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. plane — a tool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. roll — a cake
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. game — a match

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