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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 116 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: hand · branch · mug · plane · bear · ground · bass · object

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mug — to rob
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — a position
  9. object — a thing
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mug — a face
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bass — low music
  22. branch — a division
  23. object — to protest
  24. ground — the earth

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