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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
468
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: plane · cell · mine · bulb · bay · lean · sharp · prune

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. plane — a tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. lean — thin
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lean — to bend
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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