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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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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: mug · prune · face · rule · band · craft · plane · sharp

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mug — to rob
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — a law
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a ring
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. sharp — clever
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. craft — boats
  18. mug — a face
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mug — a cup
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to confront
  23. plane — a tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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