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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: can · prune · plane · wake · clip · squash · rock · fall

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. squash — the sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. can — to be able to
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. can — a tin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — music
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. prune — to trim
  16. clip — to cut
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fall — to drop
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. clip — a video
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fall — the season

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