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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — the underground
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — a container
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bank — of a river
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bank — for money
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bank — for money
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — animal skin

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