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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cap — a hat
  9. march — music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — a container
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. march — the month
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — a lid

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