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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: branch · coach · mate · track · stick · saw · wax · plane

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. mate — a friend
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. track — a song
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. plane — a tool
  14. track — a path
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. track — to keep track
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. coach — a trainer

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