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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: pop · branch · hand · leaves · perch · fan · cabinet · firm

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — a division
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pop — soda
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — in cards
  13. firm — steady
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pop — music
  17. firm — a company
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. firm — decided
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. leaves — to go away

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