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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. land — a country
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — tied together
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mate — a friend
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. land — ground
  11. mate — a partner
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wake — a trail
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bound — certain
  22. land — to come down
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. plane — a tool

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