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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: cell · roll · branch · plane · face · staff · firm · mine

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. staff — employees
  4. plane — a tool
  5. roll — a cake
  6. branch — a division
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cell — a phone
  9. face — part of the head
  10. roll — a list
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cell — in biology
  14. staff — a stick
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. face — to confront
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. firm — steady
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cell — in a prison

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