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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. row — to paddle
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fall — to drop
  7. face — part of the head
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fall — to drop
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to confront
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — the season
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. face — to point toward
  23. branch — a division
  24. plane — an aircraft

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