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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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a plant
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. swing — to play on
  11. root — of a word
  12. current — happening now
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. current — of water
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. current — electric
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lie — to recline

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