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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · perch · hide · wound · game · safe · row · branch

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. perch — the fish
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. game — a match
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bass — low music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — a division
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. row — a line
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — an injury

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