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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. degree — an amount
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. degree — temperature
  11. mug — a face
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rule — government
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cell — a phone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mug — a cup

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