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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 116 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 · row · scale · spell · plane · chair · deal · mug

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. mug — a face
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mug — a cup
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chair — a leader
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. spell — a short time
  16. plane — a tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. scale — in music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. row — a line
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. scale — size or range
  24. row — to paddle

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