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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 · snap · hand · stock · face · plane · calf

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. hand — help
  10. stock — shares
  11. hand — in cards
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. plane — a tool
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. face — to confront
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. branch — a division
  24. face — to point toward

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