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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. branch — a division
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. dip — to sink
  9. present — the time now
  10. mate — a partner
  11. plane — a tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. bear — the animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wound — an injury
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. present — there

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