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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: perch · object · branch · last · net · safe · fan · lie

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. net — for catching
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — after costs
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. net — in sport
  19. last — to go on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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