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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. sharp — clever
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lean — thin
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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