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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: row · clip · lash · present · plane · branch · spell · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. fall — the season
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. clip — for paper
  5. branch — a division
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. row — a line
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — magic
  10. clip — to cut
  11. spell — a short time
  12. present — there
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. present — the time now
  15. clip — a video
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. row — to paddle
  19. present — a gift
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — letters
  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