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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: content · lie · rush · branch · shower · perch · scale · saw

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. content — the amount
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. content — happy
  14. scale — in music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — to wash
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. saw — the tool
  24. shower — rain

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