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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: toast · net · object · perch · branch · chest · date · shower

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. toast — bread
  3. branch — a division
  4. object — a thing
  5. shower — rain
  6. chest — of your body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. net — in sport
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — an aim
  16. net — after costs
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. object — to protest
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — for catching
  24. shower — to wash

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