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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: mug · plane · season · suit · face · trunk · prune · pitcher

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. face — part of the head
  3. suit — to fit
  4. face — to confront
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mug — to rob
  11. season — in sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — in cards
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mug — a face
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a cup
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. prune — to trim

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