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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — a position
  5. roll — a cake
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. court — of a king
  11. bank — of a river
  12. branch — a division
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ground — the earth
  16. court — for sport
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — of law
  23. fine — all right
  24. bank — for money

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