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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: prune · patient · bear · plane · foot · lie · squash · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bear — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bear — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — to recline
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cell — a phone
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cell — in biology

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