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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 120 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: plane · branch · track · deal · tube · foot · saw · face

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — a division
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. face — part of the head
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — a song
  8. face — to confront
  9. foot — a measure
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. deal — to handle
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. track — to keep track
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. track — a path
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. foot — the bottom

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