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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: nail · rest · bark · cue · toast · bulb · perch · branch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. cue — for pool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — a break
  18. bark — to shout
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — a division
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bark — of a tree

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