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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: game · branch · wave · firm · ball · kid · plane · rule

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kid — to tease
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. firm — decided
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. kid — child
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rule — government
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rule — a law
  13. plane — a tool
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. game — a match
  16. ball — a dance
  17. game — wild animals
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ball — a great time
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — steady

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