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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 116 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: branch · mine · current · plane · lean · trunk · rash · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. branch — a division
  5. march — the month
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. current — of water
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lean — thin
  11. march — music
  12. plane — a tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — electric
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lean — to bend

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