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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: plane · bark · net · dip · jam · press · straw · branch

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — to shout
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. net — in sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. press — a publisher
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. dip — to sink
  18. plane — a tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. press — to push
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. press — newspapers
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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