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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 120 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. file — a line of people
  4. branch — a division
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — for catching
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — after costs
  15. board — to get on
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — to recline
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. file — a tool

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