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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 120 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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — to tire
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. rock — music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. file — a document
  12. saw — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. row — a line
  17. rock — a stone
  18. file — a tool
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. row — to paddle
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. branch — a division
  24. file — a line of people

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