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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spell — letters
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. march — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. plane — a tool
  9. march — the month
  10. rush — hurry
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spell — magic
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fine — all right
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — a division
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. march — the month
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — a thrill

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