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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: calf · plane · prune · bear · net · racket · last · bulb

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. last — final
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — for catching
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — to go on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — to trim
  23. net — in sport
  24. last — finally

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