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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. branch — a division
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. band — a ring
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. scale — in music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. scale — size or range
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. plane — a tool

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