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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: face · roll · rush · plane · branch · nail · bay · rash

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rash — a series
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. roll — a cake
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rash — hasty
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. face — to confront
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. roll — a list
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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