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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. scale — size or range
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — letters
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spring — the season
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. spring — of water
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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