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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: ball · bulb · plane · face · hand · branch · pitcher · prune

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — help
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — to confront
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — a tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ball — a dance
  22. face — to point toward
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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