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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: can · spring · plane · mug · straw · temple · rule · branch

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. spring — of water
  9. can — to be able to
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rule — government
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. can — a tin
  15. plane — a tool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. can — a tin
  18. spring — a coil
  19. mug — a face
  20. spring — the season
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. branch — a division
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mug — a cup

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