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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. plane — a tool
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. branch — a division
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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