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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: lean · snap · branch · rest · roll · last · perch · fine

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — a break
  6. fine — high quality
  7. last — finally
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. roll — a list
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — a cake
  13. branch — a division
  14. last — final
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. last — to go on
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — thin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to click

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