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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. prune — to trim
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. firm — decided
  9. plane — a tool
  10. march — the month
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mine — for digging
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. march — music
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. mate — a friend
  24. board — a committee

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