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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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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 · drill · spring · deal · swing · firm · stem · branch

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. drill — army training
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. swing — in golf
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. swing — music
  9. branch — a division
  10. spring — of water
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — a practice
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — decided
  17. plane — a tool
  18. firm — a company
  19. stem — to come from
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. spring — the season
  23. drill — the tool
  24. deal — to handle

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