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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.

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: racket · straw · plane · branch · mate · lash · lie · field

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. field — farmland
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. field — a subject
  17. branch — a division
  18. mate — a friend
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. field — for sport
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. plane — a 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