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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
468
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 · club · branch · net · coach · calf · tear · lie

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — after costs
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — in sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. club — a group
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for golf
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — a division

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