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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: rest · cabinet · plane · perch · branch · wake · chest · cell

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. branch — a division
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rest — a break
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rest — what's left
  21. perch — the fish
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chest — a box
  24. plane — in geometry

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