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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — a division
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitch — completely
  7. staff — employees
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. staff — a stick
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. plane — a tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. wax — to grow
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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