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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · racket · plane · wind · branch · bark · mark · cell

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mark — a trace
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mouse — the animal

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