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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 120 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
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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: plane · press · cue · stick · branch · band · mine · lash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. band — a music group
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. press — a publisher
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cue — a signal
  14. press — to push
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — for pool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mine — for digging
  23. band — a ring
  24. plane — in geometry

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