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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: dip · patient · perch · fan · lean · branch · rock · hide

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rock — music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. dip — to sink
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lean — thin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lean — to bend
  24. branch — a division

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