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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rash — hasty
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. dip — to sink
  13. court — of law
  14. ground — a position
  15. court — of a king
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. branch — a division
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — for sport
  23. ground — the earth
  24. dip — to dunk

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