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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.

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: degree · bank · branch · plane · perch · track · saw · wind

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. perch — the fish
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. bank — of a river
  15. degree — temperature
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — to keep track
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. degree — from a university
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — a tool

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