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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — a company
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. firm — steady
  10. saw — the tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. firm — decided
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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