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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 120 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 · branch · suit · mug · net · fine · chair · wind

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. net — after costs
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fine — high quality
  5. suit — in cards
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — all right
  10. suit — to fit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. net — for catching
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mug — a face
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. net — in sport
  22. wind — moving air
  23. branch — a division
  24. suit — clothes

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