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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: hide · mine · prune · plane · march · last · object · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. object — a thing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. object — to protest
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. object — an aim
  16. plane — a tool
  17. last — to go on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. march — the month
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mine — for digging

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