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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.

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: file · present · chip · wake · squash · perch · branch · pop

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — there
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. present — a gift
  8. file — a document
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — a trail
  11. present — the time now
  12. chip — for betting
  13. branch — a division
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. file — a tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pop — to visit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. chip — in a computer

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