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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: kick · band · plane · roll · branch · tube · chest · face

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. branch — a division
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. roll — a list
  8. tube — the underground
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. kick — in football
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — to point toward
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. face — to confront
  16. chest — a box
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. band — a ring
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. roll — a cake
  23. chest — of your body
  24. tube — a container

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