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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — music
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. plane — a tool
  18. branch — a division
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cold — the Cold War

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