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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pop — soda
  8. kick — in football
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. file — a tool
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pop — music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. branch — a division

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