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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: straw · perch · fan · branch · wake · cap · press · ground

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cap — a lid
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ground — a position
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cap — of ice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a hat
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. wake — a trail
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — crushed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — a division
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. branch — of a tree

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