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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: fan · branch · nail · plane · press · object · bowl · perch

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. press — to push
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. plane — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — a thing
  9. press — a publisher
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — newspapers
  24. branch — of a bank

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