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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · face · spring · prune · plane · pitcher

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. 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. prune — the fruit
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. face — to confront
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. face — part of the head
  13. plane — a tool
  14. face — to point toward
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. 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