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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — to eat
  5. key — for a lock
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. rule — a law
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. rule — government
  12. chip — for betting
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — in music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. plane — in geometry

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