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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 120 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: chip · prune · fall · present · plane · key · craft · cabinet

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. present — there
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. key — in music
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chip — to eat
  10. key — the most important part
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. present — a gift
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chip — for betting
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fall — the season
  24. craft — boats

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