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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — hasty
  4. net — in sport
  5. plane — a tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — there
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — for catching
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. net — after costs
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pop — soda
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. present — a gift

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