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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: sharp · bear · plane · prune · present · stand · spring · mug

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. present — the time now
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — a gift
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — to bear
  10. spring — a coil
  11. present — there
  12. plane — a tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. plane — in geometry

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