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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — the amount
  12. pass — a permit
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — a tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. shower — rain
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — happy
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bulb — of a plant

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