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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: saw · wake · mate · branch · deal · perch · pop · swing

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pop — to visit
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. wake — a trail
  9. swing — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — a friend
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pop — soda
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pop — music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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