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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ground — a position
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. plane — a tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ground — crushed

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