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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 116 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. face — to point toward
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — part of the head
  13. staff — employees
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. staff — a stick
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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