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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. prune — to trim
  4. branch — a division
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tear — from crying
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — to trim
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mate — a friend
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mate — to breed
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — out of danger

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