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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: club · deal · calf · branch · squash · last · plane · bound

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. club — for golf
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. squash — the sport
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — to crush
  12. last — to go on
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. club — a group
  17. plane — a tool
  18. last — finally
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bound — tied together
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. last — final

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