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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: plane · degree · jam · fork · prune · drill · bay · lean

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. prune — to trim
  4. degree — from a university
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lean — thin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — in a road
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. degree — an amount
  16. drill — a practice
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lean — to bend
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. degree — temperature
  24. drill — army training

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