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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: perch · hide · branch · land · bat · band · suit · bore

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — to come down
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a music group
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — ground
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bore — to drill
  14. band — a ring
  15. suit — clothes
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. branch — a division
  18. land — a country
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. suit — to fit
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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