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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. file — a tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. plane — a tool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mug — a face
  7. band — a ring
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a music group
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ball — a great time
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a cup
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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