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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — a video
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — child
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. branch — a division
  12. clip — to cut
  13. board — to get on
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kid — to tease
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. board — a committee
  23. lie — to recline
  24. racket — for tennis

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