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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 116 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: prune · content · plane · rule · drill · hide · cap · craft

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cap — a lid
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rule — a law
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rule — government
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — a tool
  22. content — the amount
  23. craft — boats
  24. hide — to keep secret

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