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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mate — a partner
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to click
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — to trim
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mate — a friend
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. suit — clothes

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