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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: bulb · fine · saw · land · prune · plane · nail · kid

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kid — child
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. land — ground
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — to tease
  12. prune — to trim
  13. saw — the tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. land — a country
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — to come down
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. fine — all right

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