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

Word bank: bass · perch · temple · cell · squash · present · wave · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — a division
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cell — a phone
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cell — in biology
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — the fish

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