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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bore — to drill
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — a list
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. scale — size or range
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. roll — a cake
  20. lean — thin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lean — to bend

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