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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. plane — a tool
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. current — electric
  5. sharp — clever
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — a short time
  9. current — happening now
  10. rest — what's left
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — magic
  14. squash — to crush
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mine — for digging
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. spell — letters

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