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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 116 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: track · saw · branch · pop · rest · nail · shower · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rest — a break
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — a song
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pop — soda
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. shower — rain
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. pop — to visit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pop — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. shower — to wash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — a division
  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