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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 120 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: bear · spell · board · plane · land · branch · game · sharp

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. land — ground
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spell — a short time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — a match
  11. land — to come down
  12. board — to get on
  13. branch — a division
  14. board — a committee
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bear — the animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. land — a country
  23. sharp — clever
  24. branch — of a bank

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