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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 · perch · scale · board · plane · wound · land · stem

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — in music
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wound — an injury
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — a tool
  13. branch — a division
  14. land — a country
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. land — ground
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — to get on
  23. wound — an injury
  24. branch — of a bank

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