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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: fine · fan · plane · branch · current · stem · band · hide

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — happening now
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — of water
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. band — a music group
  22. branch — a division
  23. current — electric
  24. band — a ring

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