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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.

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: plane · wound · branch · stick · press · stock · file · craft

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. press — to push
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. stock — shares
  7. file — a line of people
  8. press — a publisher
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. file — a document
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. craft — boats
  17. file — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — an injury
  24. press — newspapers

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