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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — moving air
  7. field — for sport
  8. firm — a company
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — hasty
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. field — farmland
  18. firm — decided
  19. field — a subject
  20. hand — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — steady
  23. hand — help
  24. wind — moving air

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