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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: fine · snap · branch · rock · lie · bass · perch · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fine — all right
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bass — the fish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. fine — high quality
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. present — the time now
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. branch — a division
  20. bass — low music
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rock — music
  24. present — there

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