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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ground — crushed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — a position
  23. row — a line
  24. branch — a division

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