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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.

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: branch · bark · clip · craft · bowl · root · nail · plane

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. root — the cause
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. clip — a video
  12. craft — boats
  13. branch — a division
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. root — of a word
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. clip — to cut
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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