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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. suit — in cards
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bat — the animal
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — in music

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