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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. swing — in golf
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. perch — the fish
  9. face — to confront
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spring — of water
  15. face — part of the head
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — a container
  20. spring — the season
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spring — a coil

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