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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.

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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 · ball · snap · mark · band · branch · cabinet · kid

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. snap — to click
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mark — a trace
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kid — child
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mark — a grade
  21. branch — a division
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a ring
  24. branch — of a bank

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