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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — a gift
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. row — a line
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — in music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. row — to paddle
  11. key — for a lock
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. present — the time now
  16. key — the most important part
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. branch — a division
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. deal — to handle
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — there
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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