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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chair — a leader
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kick — in football
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. branch — of a bank

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