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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.

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: perch · trunk · branch · drill · bank · shower · wave · net

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — a division
  10. bank — for money
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — army training
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — the tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. perch — the fish

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