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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — music
  4. fork — in a road
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. shower — rain
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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