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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — to go on
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. plane — a tool
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rash — a series
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. branch — a division
  20. mate — a friend
  21. last — final
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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