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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 120 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. squash — the sport
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. prune — to trim
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. squash — to crush
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. net — for catching
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. cabinet — ministers

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