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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — help
  3. march — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. prune — to trim
  7. toast — bread
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a song
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lean — to bend
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hand — in cards
  17. plane — a tool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. track — to keep track
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. nail — for a hammer

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