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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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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. toast — bread
  14. track — a path
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cell — a phone
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. roll — a cake
  23. branch — a division
  24. track — a song

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