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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 116 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 · deal · wave · prune · march · cap · hand · lie

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hand — help
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lie — to recline
  16. march — the month
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cap — of ice
  19. deal — to handle
  20. cap — a lid
  21. plane — a tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. march — music

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