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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mug — a face
  4. pop — music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pop — to visit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mug — to rob
  16. capital — money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. capital — a city
  20. cue — for pool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pop — soda

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