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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: plane · prune · chest · hide · rock · wake · capital · ruler

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. capital — money
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — music
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — a city
  24. chest — a box

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