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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pit — in a race
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — music
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cell — a phone
  11. plane — a tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. march — the month
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. march — the month
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — to trim

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