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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.

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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 · cap · lash · object · race · board · plane · wound

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. plane — a tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. race — a contest
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. branch — a division
  11. board — to get on
  12. race — humankind
  13. cap — a lid
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. race — the arms race
  18. board — a committee
  19. object — to protest
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. object — an aim
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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