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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: mine · cap · plane · suit · prune · deal · sharp · spell

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spell — magic
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cap — a hat
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — of ice
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — letters
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. prune — to trim
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spell — a short time
  24. sharp — clever

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