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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. race — a contest
  13. land — to come down
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — humankind
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. spell — magic

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