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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. race — humankind
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. race — the arms race
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — a country
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a hole
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. branch — a division
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — after costs
  17. land — to come down
  18. lie — to recline
  19. race — a contest
  20. land — ground
  21. perch — the fish
  22. net — for catching
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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