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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: plane · net · lean · branch · rush · straw · chip · last

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — in sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. last — finally
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. last — final
  10. lean — to bend
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — thin
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chip — to eat
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. last — to go on
  24. net — after costs

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