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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: plane · bore · can · fan · branch · firm · coach · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — to tire
  5. firm — a company
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. firm — decided
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — a division
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — to drill
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. dip — to sink
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. plane — a tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — steady
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — a supporter

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