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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. root — the cause
  3. branch — a division
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. plane — a tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. tube — a container
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitcher — a jug

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