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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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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: key · tube · cell · pass · prune · snap · plane · drill

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — army training
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tube — a container
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tube — the underground
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. key — in music
  17. snap — to click
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cell — in biology
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. key — for a lock
  24. tube — in a tire

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