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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. clip — a video
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. bound — obliged
  8. land — a country
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. land — to come down
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. bound — tied together
  14. branch — a division
  15. plane — a tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bound — certain
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — to cut
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. land — ground

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