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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — a cake
  3. firm — steady
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. perch — the fish
  6. band — a music group
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. band — a ring
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. firm — decided
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — a company
  24. roll — on a roll

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