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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. branch — a division
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. land — ground
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fork — in a road
  19. land — a country
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fork — to eat with

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