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

Word bank: prune · kick · season · dip · pound · plane · cell · stick

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. kick — in football
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — to sink
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. season — in sport
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. kick — a thrill

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