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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: court · branch · plane · firm · bore · mate · dip · fan

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. firm — decided
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. branch — a division
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bore — to drill
  13. court — for sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. court — of a king
  18. bore — to tire
  19. plane — a tool
  20. court — of law
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. dip — a sauce

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