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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: row · snap · branch · lie · perch · fan · tube · scale

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to click
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. row — a line
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lie — to recline
  16. perch — the fish
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. scale — size or range
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. tube — a container
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. branch — a division
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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