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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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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: snap · face · perch · fall · pop · dip · bay · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. perch — the fish
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. fall — to drop
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fall — the season
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. snap — to click
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — soda
  21. branch — a division
  22. pop — music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. dip — a sauce

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