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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mark — a trace
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. foot — a measure
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. charge — in control
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. branch — a division
  15. wind — moving air
  16. charge — a price
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — low music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. pound — a weight
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. charge — electricity
  24. branch — of a tree

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