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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 116 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: rash · plane · prune · ball · wound · bear · board · last

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. last — finally
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. last — to go on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. ball — a great time
  22. last — final
  23. plane — a tool
  24. board — a committee

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