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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: suit · saw · dip · plane · capital · march · prune · mug

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. dip — to sink
  4. plane — a tool
  5. suit — clothes
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — music
  11. suit — in cards
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mug — a cup
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. capital — money
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. prune — to trim
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — to rob
  23. march — the month
  24. mug — a face

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