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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 124 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — part of the head
  5. branch — a division
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kid — to tease
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cap — a lid
  11. face — to point toward
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. face — to confront
  15. file — a tool
  16. kid — child
  17. pitch — completely
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cap — of ice
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. cap — a hat

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