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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rock — music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chair — a leader
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. branch — a division
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rock — to move gently

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