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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. track — a song
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — a lid
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. branch — a division
  19. cap — of ice
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. track — a path
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. track — to keep track
  24. coach — a trainer

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