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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 · current · pass · lean · plane · land · mate · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lean — to bend
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lean — thin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mate — a friend
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pass — a permit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mate — a partner
  18. land — a country
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. land — ground
  24. pass — to spend time

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