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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: branch · deal · spell · pass · bound · mark · trunk · plane

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — a grade
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spell — magic
  6. bound — certain
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. deal — to handle
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bound — obliged
  14. branch — a division
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spell — a short time
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mark — a trace
  21. pass — a permit
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — letters

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