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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: plane · band · rush · lie · stock · object · branch · bat

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — goods
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stock — shares
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. band — a ring
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — to recline
  12. branch — a division
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. object — an aim
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. object — to protest
  24. stock — a soup base

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