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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pop — soda
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pop — music
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. plane — a tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. kick — in football
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a music group
  17. branch — a division
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — to visit
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. mine — for digging
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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