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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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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: bear · ball · kick · rest · face · perch · leaves · branch

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a great time
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ball — a dance
  14. face — part of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. face — to confront
  17. branch — a division
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a round shape

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