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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: saw · branch · deal · field · plane · kick · clip · mark

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. clip — to cut
  3. plane — a tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. clip — for paper
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. clip — a video
  14. kick — in football
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. field — for sport
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mark — a grade

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