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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. root — of a word
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. row — to paddle
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rule — government
  18. march — music
  19. row — a line
  20. perch — the fish
  21. branch — a division
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. march — the month

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