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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: branch · face · plane · chair · deal · fine · straw · bank

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. plane — a tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bank — for money
  6. face — part of the head
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. face — to confront
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. branch — a division
  21. face — to point toward
  22. deal — to handle
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. plane — in geometry

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