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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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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 · charge · plane · net · race · lash · face · stick

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. branch — a division
  3. race — a contest
  4. face — to confront
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. face — to point toward
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — after costs
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. net — in sport
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. face — part of the head
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. race — humankind
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. net — for catching

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