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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. swing — to play on
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stem — to come from
  8. branch — a division
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. last — to go on
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — music
  18. last — final
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — finally
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

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