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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. hand — help
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hand — in cards
  20. branch — a division
  21. rush — hurry
  22. present — the time now
  23. plane — a tool
  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