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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. object — a thing
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. object — to protest
  9. pit — a hole
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. present — the time now
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — letters
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spell — magic
  20. object — an aim
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rash — a series

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