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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 116 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: track · clip · plane · branch · stick · fall · ruler · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — a song
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. clip — for paper
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. clip — to cut
  10. track — a path
  11. pop — soda
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fall — to drop
  18. clip — a video
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — music

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