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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. current — happening now
  8. land — ground
  9. land — to come down
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mug — a face
  12. current — electric
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. branch — a division
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. land — a country
  20. current — of water
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pop — to visit
  24. snap — to click

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