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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rest · fan · pitcher · drill · bay · plane · branch · foot

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. drill — a practice
  7. foot — a measure
  8. branch — a division
  9. plane — a tool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. drill — the tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. drill — army training
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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