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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: squash · plane · bark · spell · swing · hand · arm · prune

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. spell — a short time
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. spell — letters
  6. swing — music
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. hand — in cards
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — the sport
  11. swing — to play on
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. swing — in golf
  24. plane — an aircraft

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