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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — letters
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bark — to shout
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — magic
  24. pound — to hit hard

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