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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: ground · kid · craft · spring · plane · bound · jam · branch

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. craft — boats
  8. plane — a tool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bound — tied together
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kid — to tease
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. spring — of water
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kid — child
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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