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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 · degree · stand · spring · bear · charge · branch · jam

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. branch — a division
  4. charge — a price
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. charge — electricity
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — from a university
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. charge — in control
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. degree — an amount
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — of water

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