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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: plane · board · spring · prune · can · swing · nail · fork

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — to be able to
  4. board — to get on
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. prune — to trim
  11. swing — to play on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. swing — in golf
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. spring — a coil
  20. swing — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. nail — on a finger

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