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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: tube · wound · pop · arm · stick · branch · plane · land

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. land — a country
  4. branch — a division
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pop — music
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. tube — a container
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pop — soda
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. tube — the underground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. pop — to visit
  24. branch — of a tree

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