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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: tube · key · spell · shower · branch · perch · object · swing

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. object — to protest
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — the underground
  8. object — an aim
  9. shower — rain
  10. swing — in golf
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. swing — to play on
  13. key — for a lock
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. spell — a short time
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — magic
  19. object — a thing
  20. swing — music
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — a division
  24. spell — letters

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