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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: swing · branch · wave · track · land · tear · perch · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. track — a song
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. track — a path
  6. swing — in golf
  7. land — a country
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. swing — to play on
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. branch — a division
  14. swing — music
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — to come down
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — the fish
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — ground
  24. perch — for a bird

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