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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.

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: mouse · roll · rest · mate · branch · wake · fine · plane

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mate — a friend
  5. branch — a division
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. roll — a list
  11. fine — all right
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rest — a break
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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