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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. branch — a division
  24. plane — an aircraft

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