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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: straw · track · temple · lean · branch · current · perch · spell

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. current — of water
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — a song
  9. lean — to bend
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — letters
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. track — to keep track
  14. current — electric
  15. track — a path
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. spell — magic
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lean — thin
  23. spell — a short time
  24. perch — for a bird

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