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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.

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: prune · plane · season · board · bat · snap · file · arm

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bat — the animal
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. prune — to trim
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. season — of the year
  14. board — to get on
  15. file — a document
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. prune — to trim
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. file — a tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. season — to add flavour

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