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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. chest — of your body
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — a subject
  11. branch — a division
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chest — of your body
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mug — a face
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mug — to rob
  20. field — farmland
  21. chest — a box
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. field — for sport

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