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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 120 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: plane · prune · bark · pit · last · mine · calf · can

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. last — to go on
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mine — for digging
  11. last — final
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pit — in a race
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — finally
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. plane — an aircraft

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