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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: straw · plane · patient · branch · tube · pitcher · band · dip

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. band — a music group
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. band — a ring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to sink
  17. branch — a division
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. tube — a container
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitcher — a jug

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