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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. branch — a division
  3. mark — a grade
  4. field — a subject
  5. rash — a series
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rash — hasty
  8. snap — to click
  9. present — the time now
  10. plane — a tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — for sport
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — a lid
  18. present — there
  19. field — farmland
  20. cap — of ice
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mark — a trace

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