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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — clothes
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. file — a line of people
  6. craft — a skill
  7. file — a document
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wax — to grow
  11. plane — a tool
  12. craft — boats
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. file — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. row — to paddle
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mark — a grade
  22. row — a line
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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