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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spring — of water
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tear — from crying
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spring — the season
  12. craft — boats
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — letters
  15. tear — to rip
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. tear — from crying
  20. row — a line
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spell — magic
  23. ball — a dance
  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