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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. toast — bread
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. net — for catching
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cold — not warm
  12. fall — to drop
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fall — the season
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — in sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cold — an illness

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