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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spring — of water
  6. kick — in football
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. spring — the season
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. spring — a coil
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. branch — a division
  24. bark — to shout

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