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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bat — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. drill — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. branch — a division
  11. drill — army training
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. root — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — a series
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. row — a line
  19. drill — a practice
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. row — a quarrel

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