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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: season · branch · plane · mouse · mark · bound · hand · net

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. net — for catching
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. bound — tied together
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. season — of the year
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. season — in sport
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bound — certain
  24. branch — a division

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