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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: fine · capital · firm · rock · prune · stick · plane · tear

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — all right
  5. capital — a city
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — a company
  8. plane — a tool
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — high quality
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — steady
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tear — to rip
  24. capital — money

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