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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · prune · plane · stick · squash · face · can · board

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. squash — the sport
  12. face — to confront
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — to point toward
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — happy
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. squash — to crush
  23. can — to be able to
  24. content — the amount

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