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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: object · mate · row · branch · rule · plane · ground · spring

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spring — of water
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — a coil
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. object — a thing
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. row — a line
  12. spring — the season
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ground — the earth
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ground — a position
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. plane — a tool
  20. object — to protest
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mate — to breed
  23. row — to paddle
  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