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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · wind · leaves · branch · perch · plane · calf · fine

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. perch — the fish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. branch — a division
  15. fine — high quality
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — a tin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. calf — of the leg

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