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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. ball — a great time
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ball — a dance
  16. plane — a tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lie — an untruth

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