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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bear — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. stock — shares
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. net — after costs
  13. tear — to rip
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stock — goods
  20. net — for catching
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — a container

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