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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: snap · calf · branch · saw · last · squash · perch · suit

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. branch — a division
  10. squash — to crush
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. last — finally
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — the fish
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. snap — to click
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. last — to go on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. squash — the vegetable

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