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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bank — for money
  4. suit — in cards
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. bank — of a river
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bank — for money
  24. bear — to put up with

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