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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lean — thin
  3. firm — steady
  4. lean — to bend
  5. plane — a tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bass — the fish
  17. firm — a company
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. branch — of a bank

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