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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: mouse · plane · rush · wound · wind · prune · staff · bound

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. prune — to trim
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bound — certain
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. bound — tied together
  24. mouse — for a computer

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