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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
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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: tube · lie · face · season · march · current · plane · branch

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — happening now
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — the month
  10. current — of water
  11. march — music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — to point toward
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — a tool
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lie — to recline
  19. branch — a division
  20. season — in sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. march — the month
  23. season — of the year
  24. current — electric

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