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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. object — an aim
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mug — to rob
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — the amount
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. object — a thing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mug — a face
  24. object — to protest

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