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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · rock · fall · fan · perch · wind · branch · last

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. last — finally
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — to go on
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pop — to visit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pop — music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — music
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. last — final
  22. pop — soda
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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