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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: land · bulb · mark · plane · present · board · spring · branch

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bulb — for light
  3. present — there
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spring — of water
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. land — a country
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — a division
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. land — ground
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. land — to come down
  21. spring — a coil
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. board — to get on

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