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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: race · mark · foot · band · plane · branch · date · saw

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. race — humankind
  5. band — a ring
  6. race — the arms race
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. date — the fruit
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. band — a music group
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. race — a contest
  20. mark — a trace
  21. foot — a measure
  22. saw — the tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. foot — the bottom

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