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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · suit · perch · ground · mine · branch · last · saw

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. suit — in cards
  3. can — a tin
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — the fish
  7. last — finally
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. last — final
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — a position
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ground — the earth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ground — crushed
  20. can — to be able to
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. last — to go on

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