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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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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: prune · stock · plane · dip · face · fork · hide · pitcher

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. face — part of the head
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — to confront
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fork — in a road
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stock — shares
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — to trim
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — a jug

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