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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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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: craft · rest · cap · plane · fork · bank · prune · foot

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. craft — boats
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — a tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. fork — in a road
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bank — of a river
  9. foot — a measure
  10. craft — a skill
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rest — a break
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bank — for money
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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