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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: mine · prune · fork · patient · face · plane · pop · rock

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pop — soda
  5. prune — to trim
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. face — to confront
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pop — to visit
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rock — a stone
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pop — music
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — music

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