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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 · patient · branch · dip · sharp · file · land · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. file — a tool
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. sharp — clever
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. season — of the year
  9. plane — a tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. file — a line of people
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. land — to come down
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. dip — to sink
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. land — a country
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. file — a document
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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