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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.

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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: trunk · plane · foot · branch · field · bound · stand · fine

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. fine — all right
  3. plane — a tool
  4. branch — a division
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stand — to bear
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — a subject
  13. foot — a measure
  14. field — for sport
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fine — high quality
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. field — farmland
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stand — for spectators

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