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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. drill — the tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. bear — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fine — high quality
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — army training
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spell — a short time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. saw — the tool

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