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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. net — in sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — after costs
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. plane — a tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. foot — the bottom

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