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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wake — a trail
  5. staff — employees
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bat — the animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a bank

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