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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. track — a song
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. file — a document
  5. track — to keep track
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — a division
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. plane — a tool
  19. toast — bread
  20. track — a path
  21. date — the fruit
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. file — a line of people
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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