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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. toast — bread
  7. field — for sport
  8. current — happening now
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — a division
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. current — electric
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. plane — a tool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — of water
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. field — a subject

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