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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.

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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: bark · object · cap · rush · straw · branch · pop · perch

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cap — a lid
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. branch — a division
  9. bark — to shout
  10. perch — the fish
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pop — music
  13. object — to protest
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — a thing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rush — hurry

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