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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. pit — a hole
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pit — in a race
  9. charge — in control
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. charge — a price
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. snap — to click
  22. net — after costs
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. plane — in geometry

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