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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: plane · straw · branch · nail · hand · bulb · temple · track

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hand — help
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. branch — a division
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. plane — a tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. track — to keep track
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bulb — for light

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