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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: wound · plane · branch · game · rule · can · cue · fork

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. can — to be able to
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — government
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — a division
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. game — a match
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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