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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 120 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
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: spell · fork · prune · tube · foot · plane · shower · lash

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spell — letters
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. prune — to trim
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. shower — rain
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. foot — a measure
  17. spell — magic
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — a short time
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. shower — to wash

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