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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — music
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lean — thin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. march — music
  13. court — for sport
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rock — a stone
  19. court — of a king
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. court — of law
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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