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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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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: wind · vault · branch · foot · perch · band · object · can

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. can — a tin
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wind — moving air
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. wind — moving air
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — to be able to
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. perch — for a bird

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