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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. club — for golf
  3. lean — thin
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — to bend
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. court — for sport
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mark — a trace
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mark — a grade
  24. tear — from crying

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