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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 116 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: snap · spring · branch · lie · plane · board · bear · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. spring — the season
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — to get on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — a division
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. board — a committee
  24. spring — of water

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