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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lean — to bend
  6. prune — to trim
  7. row — a line
  8. object — an aim
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. present — the time now
  13. row — to paddle
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — a thing
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. present — a gift
  20. lean — thin
  21. object — to protest
  22. present — there
  23. lean — to rest against
  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