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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. snap — to click
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — the animal
  20. game — a match
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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