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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. object — an aim
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. craft — boats
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. object — to protest
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — to shout

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