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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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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. row — to paddle
  5. prune — to trim
  6. row — a line
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mug — to rob
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. prune — to trim
  22. perch — the fish
  23. track — a path
  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