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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.

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: board · bat · shower · stick · ruler · branch · plane · dip

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bat — the animal
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — to sink
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. shower — to wash
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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