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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: board · wake · branch · bank · kid · perch · cabinet · mug

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. kid — to tease
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mug — a face
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. kid — child
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bank — for money
  14. mug — a cup
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bank — for money
  18. board — a committee
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. perch — for a bird
  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