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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: fan · plane · branch · clip · key · fork · tube · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. key — for a lock
  6. squash — the sport
  7. branch — a division
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fork — in a road
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. clip — for paper
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. squash — to crush
  15. clip — a video
  16. tube — a container
  17. key — in music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. clip — to cut
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — a garden tool

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