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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. wound — an injury
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. fine — high quality
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. branch — a division
  11. present — there
  12. fine — all right
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — the time now
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. present — a gift
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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