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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 120 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
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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: rule · stick · branch · band · plane · capital · mark · spring

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a grade
  8. spring — of water
  9. band — a music group
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rule — a law
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. capital — a city
  20. mark — a trace
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. capital — money
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rule — government

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