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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.

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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: net · scale · branch · current · wound · plane · deal · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. current — of water
  3. net — in sport
  4. current — happening now
  5. net — after costs
  6. deal — to handle
  7. scale — in music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — to recline
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — a division
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — for catching
  22. current — electric
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lie — an untruth

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