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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: prune · firm · plane · hand · fall · deal · trunk · mark

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. firm — steady
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. firm — decided
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mark — a trace
  14. deal — to handle
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mark — a grade
  17. plane — a tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. firm — a company
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fall — to drop
  24. prune — the fruit

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