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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 · roll · plane · mark · saw · bay · land · coach

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mark — a trace
  5. land — to come down
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. roll — a cake
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — ground
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — a country
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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