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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 · current · bulb · press · bound · wax · ground · branch

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — electric
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bound — tied together
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. current — of water
  12. bound — obliged
  13. press — to push
  14. ground — the earth
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. ground — a position
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ground — crushed
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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