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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fall · game · branch · capital · hide · plane · wave · tube

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fall — the season
  4. capital — money
  5. branch — a division
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fall — to drop
  9. tube — the underground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. capital — a city
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. game — a match
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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