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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bear · spring · rock · bass · branch · cold · plane · bay

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. branch — a division
  7. bass — low music
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spring — the season
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. branch — of a bank
  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