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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · season · wound · plane · racket · squash

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. season — in sport
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wound — an injury
  7. branch — a division
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — of the year
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. squash — to crush
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. squash — the sport
  18. plane — 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