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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · bowl · dip · calf · bear · plane · mine · prune

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. dip — to sink
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — for digging
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bear — the animal

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