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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: racket · branch · lie · plane · press · game · board · wound

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. board — to get on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wound — an injury
  6. game — a match
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — to recline
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. press — a publisher
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — a committee
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. press — to push
  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