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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.

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: can · land · content · season · plane · branch · bank · clip

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. season — of the year
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. land — a country
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — happy
  9. land — ground
  10. season — in sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. content — the amount
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. can — to be able to
  21. clip — a video
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — a tool
  24. branch — a division

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