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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.

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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 · swing · last · wake · plane · prune · foot · hide

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mug — a face
  3. wake — a trail
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. last — to go on
  6. mug — to rob
  7. swing — to play on
  8. last — final
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mug — a cup
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — music
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. swing — in golf

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