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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. object — a thing
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hand — help
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. content — happy
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. content — the amount
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — belonging to me

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