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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. object — an aim
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — after costs
  9. board — to get on
  10. branch — a division
  11. object — a thing
  12. net — in sport
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. board — a committee
  15. stock — shares
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — goods
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — for catching
  23. wax — to grow
  24. board — a flat piece

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