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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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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 · clip · key · squash · plane · snap · arm · bear

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. clip — a video
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. clip — for paper
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. clip — to cut
  18. squash — to crush
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. squash — the sport

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