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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: squash · perch · fan · branch · firm · snap · mouse · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. branch — a division
  11. firm — a company
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mate — a friend
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — a partner
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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