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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wind — moving air
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bass — the fish
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. fork — to eat with

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