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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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. plane — in geometry
  4. row — a line
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kick — in football
  7. net — in sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cell — a phone
  10. net — for catching
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cell — in biology
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. row — to paddle
  24. net — after costs

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