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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.

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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. scale — size or range
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. land — a country
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — ground
  15. scale — in music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. land — to come down
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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