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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. perch — the fish
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. present — the time now
  8. track — a path
  9. drill — a practice
  10. track — a song
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — there
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — a division
  16. present — a gift
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. drill — army training
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. perch — for a bird

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