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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 · branch · pass · tube · spring · wave · rash · file

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. file — a document
  4. spring — the season
  5. pass — a permit
  6. perch — the fish
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. file — a tool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rash — hasty
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rash — a series
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — a container
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wave — of the sea

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