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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: cap · prune · plane · nail · key · spell · mark · spring

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. spring — of water
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — the season
  10. cap — a lid
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mark — a grade
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spell — magic
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cap — of ice
  22. key — in music
  23. spring — a coil
  24. prune — to trim

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