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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 120 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: fall · cabinet · ball · shower · perch · firm · branch · rush

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. perch — the fish
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fall — the season
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. ball — a dance
  12. firm — decided
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a great time
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. branch — a division
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — to drop

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