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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: hide · cap · prune · roll · bank · plane · staff · saw

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — a lid
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. roll — a cake
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. staff — employees
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. roll — a list
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. staff — a stick
  21. prune — to trim
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bank — of a river

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