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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.

Make a worksheet

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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. drill — army training
  4. game — a match
  5. key — in music
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. key — the most important part
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. drill — a practice
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. branch — a division
  16. fall — to drop
  17. game — wild animals
  18. fall — the season
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. plane — a tool
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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