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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: rush · spring · prune · hand · plane · firm · chest · arm

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. chest — a box
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. firm — steady
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spring — the season
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rush — hurry
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. firm — decided

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