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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: branch · fine · rock · lean · cold · perch · fall · ground

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. ground — a position
  3. fine — high quality
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ground — the earth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — all right
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cold — an illness
  13. lean — thin
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. branch — a division
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rock — music
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fine — a penalty

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