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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. chair — a leader
  17. key — in music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. clip — a video
  24. wake — a trail

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