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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: bat · branch · plane · wind · tube · foot · track · perch

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bat — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. track — to keep track
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — the fish
  11. track — a path
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tube — a container
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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