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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
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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 · last · firm · temple · stand · trunk · file

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. last — final
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. branch — a division
  7. file — a tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. firm — a company
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. file — a document
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. firm — decided
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. firm — steady
  21. file — a line of people
  22. last — finally
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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