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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fine — all right
  12. dip — to sink
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. object — a thing
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — high quality
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — a division
  24. fine — a penalty

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