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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: tube · trunk · plane · scale · content · face · prune · branch

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. scale — in music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — a tool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. content — happy
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. prune — to trim
  13. scale — size or range
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. content — the amount
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tube — a container
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. face — part of the head
  24. content — videos and posts

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