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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: roll · perch · branch · stand · arm · bark · trunk · file

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. roll — a list
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a line of people
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. perch — the fish
  17. file — a tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bark — to shout
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stand — to bear
  22. branch — a division
  23. file — a document
  24. roll — a cake

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