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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wind — moving air
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. branch — a division
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. net — for catching
  24. wind — to turn a key

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