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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. perch — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — high quality
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fine — all right
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wax — to grow
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. branch — a division
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — in geometry

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