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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 120 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spell — letters
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. swing — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. drill — army training
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — a practice
  20. spell — magic
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. branch — a division
  23. plane — a tool
  24. drill — the tool

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