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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: chest · spell · branch · mine · lean · nail · hide · plane

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spell — letters
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. plane — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chest — a box
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. branch — a division
  14. mine — for digging
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chest — of your body
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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