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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: snap · tear · content · branch · rock · track · swing · plane

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. plane — a tool
  7. tear — to rip
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. snap — to click
  11. rock — a stone
  12. track — a song
  13. rock — music
  14. content — the amount
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. content — happy
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. swing — in golf
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — 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