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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ball — a great time
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. land — ground
  6. branch — a division
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. clip — for paper
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. clip — to cut
  16. key — the most important part
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. key — in music
  19. land — a country
  20. clip — a video
  21. key — for a lock
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. land — to come down

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