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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: plane · fine · net · wake · swing · kid · face · branch

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. kid — child
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. kid — to tease
  15. net — in sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. swing — to play on
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. swing — music
  23. face — to confront
  24. net — after costs

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