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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — a division
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. prune — to trim
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. band — a music group
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. plane — a tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a skill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a ring
  24. plane — an aircraft

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