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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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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 · rest · swing · plane · fork · face · degree · wave

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. face — to point toward
  4. branch — a division
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. degree — an amount
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. swing — in golf
  17. face — part of the head
  18. swing — music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. degree — from a university
  21. face — to confront
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — temperature
  24. branch — of a tree

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