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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. foot — a measure
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wind — moving air
  5. squash — the sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. squash — to crush
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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