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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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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: foot · straw · bowl · net · plane · prune · firm · tear

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. tear — from crying
  5. plane — a tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. firm — steady
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. firm — decided
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. net — for catching
  24. tear — from crying

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