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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · branch · hand · mouse · stick · bark · bat · bowl

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. branch — a division
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. branch — of a tree

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