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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: firm · temple · dip · cap · plane · leaves · fan · branch

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cap — of ice
  4. dip — to sink
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cap — a lid
  10. firm — decided
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. firm — a company
  22. branch — a division
  23. cap — a hat
  24. plane — a tool

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