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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — magic
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. press — newspapers
  11. branch — a division
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — to push
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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