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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — an injury
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. content — happy
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — to eat
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. last — finally
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — for betting
  16. last — final
  17. branch — a division
  18. last — to go on
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cue — a signal

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