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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. plane — a tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — a division
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — music
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. spring — the season
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — of water

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