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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — to be able to
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — the season
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rush — hurry
  20. can — a tin
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — a grade
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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