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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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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: bowl · cell · mate · perch · branch · tear · row · suit

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. cell — in biology
  6. suit — clothes
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. row — to paddle
  10. cell — a phone
  11. row — a line
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mate — a partner
  20. branch — a division
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mate — to breed
  24. tear — from crying

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