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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. plane — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. perch — the fish
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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