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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.

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: perch · fork · bat · roll · branch · lean · nail · tube

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. roll — a cake
  5. lean — thin
  6. roll — a list
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. branch — a division
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tube — the underground
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — in a road
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. nail — for a hammer

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