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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
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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: prune · plane · lean · bass · wave · can · face · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lean — to bend
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bass — low music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. face — to confront
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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