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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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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: lie · bark · current · lean · land · branch · perch · pit

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — happening now
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — to bend
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. lean — thin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. current — of water
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. land — a country
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. branch — a division

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