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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. prune — to trim
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wound — an injury
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — the season
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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