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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: branch · ruler · fall · wax · spell · capital · board · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spell — letters
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. fall — to drop
  6. capital — money
  7. perch — the fish
  8. capital — a city
  9. spell — magic
  10. fall — the season
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. fall — to drop
  21. board — to get on
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. board — a committee

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