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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — a division
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — magic
  12. lie — to recline
  13. kid — to tease
  14. spell — letters
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. land — ground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. land — a country
  22. kid — child
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lie — an untruth

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