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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.

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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: pitcher · last · fan · snap · pound · leaves · branch · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. last — to go on
  3. branch — a division
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. plane — a tool
  7. last — final
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — finally
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. snap — to click
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. plane — in geometry

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