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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: branch · plane · bat · lie · bowl · bulb · object · game

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. object — an aim
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. object — a thing
  23. branch — a division
  24. lie — to recline

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