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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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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: perch · branch · saw · fall · fan · wind · calf · suit

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — clothes
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fall — the season
  7. branch — a division
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. perch — the fish
  16. wind — moving air
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — to fit

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