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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
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: hand · plane · bay · prune · cue · temple · leaves · spell

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cue — a hint
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. plane — a tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spell — magic
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — for pool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. hand — help
  20. spell — a short time
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. hand — in cards
  24. prune — the fruit

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