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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — a thing
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mate — to breed
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bear — the animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. branch — a division
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mate — a partner
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mate — a friend
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. object — an aim

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