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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. shower — rain
  3. swing — to play on
  4. shower — to wash
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — music
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. swing — music
  14. club — a group
  15. plane — a tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for dancing
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. club — for golf
  22. pop — to visit
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pop — soda

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