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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. branch — a division
  3. club — a group
  4. chip — for betting
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. present — there
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — the time now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. club — for golf
  22. present — a gift
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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