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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 120 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: last · plane · hand · game · board · deal · chair · branch

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hand — in cards
  3. last — finally
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. board — to get on
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. hand — help
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — a division
  14. game — wild animals
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. board — a committee
  17. deal — to handle
  18. last — to go on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. last — final
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. plane — an aircraft

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