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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — to handle
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mug — a face
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. track — a song
  13. mug — to rob
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pit — a hole
  16. track — a path
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mug — a cup
  23. shower — rain
  24. dip — a sauce

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