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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 · stem · plane · track · press · sharp · tube · fall

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. track — a song
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. track — a path
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fall — to drop
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. stem — to come from
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — a division
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tube — a container
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — to push
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. sharp — with an edge

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