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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spring — of water
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. squash — to crush
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fine — all right
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spring — the season
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — high quality
  20. squash — the sport
  21. branch — a division
  22. spring — a coil
  23. plane — a tool
  24. race — the arms race

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