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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. club — for golf
  4. face — part of the head
  5. branch — a division
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. face — to point toward
  15. club — for dancing
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. club — a group
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. face — to confront

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