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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: stick · lean · craft · mine · snap · plane · prune · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to bend
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. craft — a skill
  20. snap — to click
  21. craft — boats
  22. lean — thin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lean — to rest against

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