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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. file — a line of people
  4. key — the most important part
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. can — a tin
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. branch — a division
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. can — to be able to
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. key — in music
  17. stock — shares
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. file — a tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a document

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