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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. perch — the fish
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — a tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hand — help
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. hand — in cards
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cue — a hint

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