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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: fine · snap · tube · stick · branch · plane · bat · stand

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bat — the animal
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. branch — a division
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. snap — to click
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. tube — a container
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — all right
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fine — high quality

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