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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cap — a hat
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. cap — of ice
  7. branch — a division
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. band — a ring
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. band — a music group
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — a tool

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