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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: board · plane · net · branch · pop · chest · rash · cue

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. net — in sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. net — after costs
  8. chest — a box
  9. pop — to visit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — a series
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cue — a signal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chest — of your body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cue — for pool
  21. net — for catching
  22. pop — music
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cue — a hint

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