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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. plane — a tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. cell — a phone
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. staff — employees
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tube — a container
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chair — a leader
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. season — of the year
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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