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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 124 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. degree — temperature
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bound — certain
  11. dip — to sink
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. degree — from a university
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. chest — a box
  22. game — wild animals
  23. degree — an amount
  24. game — a match

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