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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: plane · current · hand · safe · branch · leaves · fan · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. current — happening now
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. track — a song
  10. hand — help
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. current — electric
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. track — a path
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. branch — a division

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