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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.

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: tear · straw · branch · perch · fine · leaves · tube · plane

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — the fish
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. branch — a division
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — to rip
  13. plane — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tear — from crying
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. fine — all right
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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