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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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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: wound · branch · ruler · perch · plane · bank · rest · chest

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chest — a box
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bank — of a river
  13. branch — a division
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. perch — for a bird

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