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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 120 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: rash · branch · press · bowl · saw · perch · wake · rock

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — a trail
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rash — a series
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rock — music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. press — a publisher

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