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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: roll · drill · prune · foot · sharp · key · dip · plane

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — in music
  6. drill — army training
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. prune — to trim
  13. roll — a cake
  14. dip — to sink
  15. sharp — clever
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. drill — the tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. foot — a measure
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. prune — to trim
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. key — the most important part

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