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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: saw · straw · root · pass · track · branch · plane · scale

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. root — of a word
  6. pass — a permit
  7. track — a song
  8. branch — a division
  9. root — the cause
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. root — of a plant
  20. scale — in music
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. scale — size or range
  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