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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kid — child
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — finally
  5. kid — to tease
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. suit — clothes
  9. plane — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cell — in biology
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — to go on
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. last — final
  18. cell — a phone
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cell — in a prison

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