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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 · prune · branch · dip · mine · mark · plane · object

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mark — a grade
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. band — a music group
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. object — a thing
  8. branch — a division
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. object — to protest
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — a tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mine — for digging
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. object — an aim
  23. band — a ring
  24. dip — to sink

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