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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. prune — to trim
  3. key — the most important part
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pound — a weight
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fine — high quality
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — a tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — in music
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. prune — to trim
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. key — for a lock

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