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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: racket · saw · clip · land · branch · chair · plane · swing

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. swing — in golf
  4. land — a country
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. branch — a division
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. swing — music
  11. clip — to cut
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. land — ground
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — to play on
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — a tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. land — to come down

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