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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. shower — rain
  6. mine — for digging
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. swing — music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. branch — a division
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. swing — in golf
  18. shower — to wash
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rush — hurry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. trunk — of a car

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