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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. plane — a tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. spell — magic
  6. snap — to click
  7. swing — to play on
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. swing — music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. spell — a short time
  13. branch — a division
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spell — letters
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. branch — of a bank

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