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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · branch · jam · plane · wind · pit · ball · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — in a race
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ball — a dance
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mine — an explosive

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