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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: plane · prune · shower · racket · net · kid · cap · bound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kid — child
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kid — to tease
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bound — certain
  11. net — for catching
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cap — a lid
  18. net — after costs
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cap — of ice
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — in sport
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. shower — rain

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