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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to click
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — a song
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. scale — in music
  15. kick — in football
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chip — to eat
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. scale — size or range
  22. track — to keep track
  23. branch — a division
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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