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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. hand — in cards
  3. plane — a tool
  4. land — a country
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. prune — to trim
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. hand — help
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rest — what's left
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rest — a break
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. plane — in geometry

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