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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kid — child
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. branch — a division
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. kid — to tease
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. charge — a price
  20. bat — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. charge — electricity

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