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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: plane · dip · bore · degree · pass · nail · branch · track

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. degree — temperature
  8. plane — a tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bore — to drill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. degree — an amount
  18. track — a path
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. dip — to sink
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. track — a song

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