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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: tear · prune · plane · mark · bay · firm · band · pitcher

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. firm — decided
  4. mark — a trace
  5. tear — to rip
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. tear — from crying
  8. firm — steady
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a music group
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. band — a ring
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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