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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bowl · arm · plane · fine · cabinet · capital · shower

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. branch — a division
  8. shower — rain
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fine — all right
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. plane — a tool
  18. capital — money
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. capital — a city
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. branch — of a bank

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