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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fall · branch · arm · kid · perch · roll · current · pitcher

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fall — to drop
  7. current — electric
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — of water
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — a list
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kid — child
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. current — happening now
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kid — to tease
  24. arm — part of the body

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