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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: bound · cold · bay · file · bulb · plane · fork · prune

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. file — a line of people
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a document
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. cold — an illness
  21. file — a tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bulb — for light

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