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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at 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. leaves — to go away
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. root — of a word
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. saw — the tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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