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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: can · hand · squash · stand · plane · branch · toast · march

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. march — music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. can — to be able to
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. branch — a division
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hand — help
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — the sport
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. can — a tin
  19. march — the month
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — to bear
  24. can — a tin

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