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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rule — a law
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. squash — the sport
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ground — the earth
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chest — a box
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ground — a position
  24. chest — of your body

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