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

Word bank: key · swing · mouse · pass · plane · pit · lie · prune

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — for a lock
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — to recline
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — in music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pit — a hole
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. prune — to trim

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