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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. drill — a practice
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — employees
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — army training
  15. bank — for money
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chair — a leader
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. branch — a division
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — a professorship

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