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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: ruler · perch · prune · can · tear · plane · saw · bowl

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. tear — to rip
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. perch — the fish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tear — from crying
  23. can — a tin
  24. plane — a tool

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