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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. stand — to bear
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rule — a law
  13. track — a song
  14. branch — a division
  15. craft — boats
  16. track — a path
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — on your feet

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