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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.

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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: coach · plane · rest · fall · bound · racket · branch · track

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fall — the season
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — a path
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bound — tied together
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. track — a song
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — a division
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bound — obliged
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rest — a break
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — certain
  22. fall — to drop
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. racket — for tennis

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