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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: clip · toast · can · mug · current · perch · branch · tear

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. clip — to cut
  3. current — happening now
  4. toast — bread
  5. perch — the fish
  6. clip — for paper
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mug — a face
  10. current — electric
  11. branch — a division
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — of water
  15. tear — from crying
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — to rob
  20. clip — a video
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. can — to be able to

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