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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. drill — army training
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. drill — a practice
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bank — of a river
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rule — government
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rule — a law
  15. scale — in music
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. branch — a division
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. plane — a tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bank — for money

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