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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: branch · squash · ball · perch · fan · rest · leaves · saw

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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 — a supporter
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. perch — the fish
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rest — a break
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a dance
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. branch — of a tree
  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