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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: hand · plane · cell · branch · wave · bound · board · coach

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — a division
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a committee
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hand — help
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cell — in biology
  18. plane — a tool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. board — to get on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — certain
  24. cell — a phone

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