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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: band · branch · safe · lash · fine · plane · date · net

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. plane — a tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — high quality
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fine — all right
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — in sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — after costs
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — the fruit

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