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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. firm — a company
  3. plane — a tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. firm — decided
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hand — help
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mate — a friend
  13. firm — steady
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. branch — a division
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. row — a line
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. row — to paddle
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. row — a quarrel

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