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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — goods
  7. branch — a division
  8. spell — letters
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spring — of water
  12. stock — shares
  13. bound — certain
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — magic
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. plane — a tool
  24. leaves — lets stay

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