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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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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: snap · mark · face · race · shower · bear · prune · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. race — a contest
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mark — a grade
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mark — a trace
  16. snap — to click
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. face — part of the head
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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