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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — a practice
  3. perch — the fish
  4. plane — a tool
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. squash — to crush
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pass — a permit
  12. drill — the tool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. drill — army training
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. branch — a division

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