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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: prune · plane · content · key · shower · sharp · press · scale

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. key — in music
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. shower — rain
  5. press — a publisher
  6. scale — size or range
  7. key — for a lock
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. sharp — clever
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. press — newspapers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. content — the amount
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. key — the most important part
  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