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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. row — a line
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spring — of water
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. spring — the season
  13. plane — a tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bear — the animal
  16. scale — in music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — size or range
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bear — to put up with

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