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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 120 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
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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: prune · bank · saw · plane · drill · game · court · snap

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. court — for sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. drill — army training
  10. game — wild animals
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. drill — a practice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. prune — to trim
  18. court — of a king
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. court — of law
  22. snap — to click
  23. game — a match
  24. saw — the tool

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