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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 · fall · roll · stem · clip · current · fork · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fall — the season
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. clip — a video
  9. stem — to come from
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. clip — to cut
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. plane — a tool
  15. clip — for paper
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — happening now
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fork — in a road

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