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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · field · fall · march · saw · plane · dip · prune

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — music
  4. march — the month
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. plane — a tool
  9. march — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — for sport
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. field — farmland
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — to drop
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. field — a subject
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — the season

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