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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: wave · stick · plane · prune · firm · toast · fork · key

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. key — in music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. firm — a company
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. firm — decided
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. toast — bread
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. firm — steady
  20. prune — to trim
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — for a lock

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