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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. current — happening now
  7. band — a ring
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — letters
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fine — high quality
  15. current — of water
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spell — magic
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — electric
  24. fine — all right

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