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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: bulb · file · wound · branch · land · vault · plane · board

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. land — to come down
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. board — to get on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. board — a committee
  11. plane — a tool
  12. land — ground
  13. file — a tool
  14. land — a country
  15. file — a document
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. branch — of a bank

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