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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. hand — help
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cap — a hat
  9. drill — army training
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — low music
  17. cap — of ice
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — a lid
  20. hand — in cards
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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