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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. file — a line of people
  7. shower — rain
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a document
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. plane — a tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. file — a tool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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