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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: perch · track · pass · dip · rest · plane · sharp · branch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — a tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. perch — the fish
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. track — a song
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. track — a path
  12. track — to keep track
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. sharp — clever
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pass — a permit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — what's left
  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