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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. plane — a tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mug — a face
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. tube — the underground
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — a division
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — a container
  24. snap — to click

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