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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 · tear · foot · present · plane · fine · game · bank

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fine — all right
  3. plane — a tool
  4. present — there
  5. tear — to rip
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. tear — from crying
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bank — of a river
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fine — high quality
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. present — the time now
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bank — for money
  23. foot — the bottom
  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