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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 120 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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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: deal · shower · plane · straw · prune · face · spell · rash

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. shower — rain
  6. face — part of the head
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — to confront
  9. shower — to wash
  10. deal — to handle
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. face — to point toward
  19. rash — a series
  20. spell — letters
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rash — hasty
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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