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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · deal · key · saw · prune · dip · content · plane

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. plane — a tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. shower — to wash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — the amount
  9. deal — to handle
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — in music
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. shower — rain
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. dip — to sink
  19. key — the most important part
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. saw — the tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. key — for a lock

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