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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: plane · fan · present · content · face · branch · object · ball

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — a division
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — the time now
  6. object — an aim
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ball — a great time
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. object — to protest
  11. plane — a tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. content — happy
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. face — part of the head
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. present — there
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. object — a thing
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. content — the amount

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