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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: lie · plane · branch · prune · band · face · bore · calf

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. branch — a division
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. face — part of the head
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bore — to tire
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — to drill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lie — to recline
  24. plane — a tool

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