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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — a signal
  5. face — to confront
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. branch — a division
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fine — high quality
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hand — in cards
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. hand — help

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