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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: saw · perch · last · branch · staff · file · toast · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. last — finally
  5. file — a document
  6. saw — the tool
  7. shower — rain
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. file — a line of people
  10. branch — a division
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a tool
  13. last — to go on
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. toast — bread
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. staff — employees
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. perch — the fish
  21. last — final
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. staff — a stick
  24. toast — the most admired

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