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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bound — certain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — to bend
  6. suit — to fit
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. suit — in cards
  12. march — music
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bound — obliged
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — a division
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bark — to shout
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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