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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 120 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: branch · last · cap · perch · arm · rest · chip · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. chip — for betting
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — a break
  6. perch — the fish
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — what's left
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. last — final
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. season — of the year
  15. chip — to eat
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. rest — what's left
  19. last — finally
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cap — a hat
  24. last — to go on

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