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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: fall · branch · rule · perch · pitcher · dip · chest · rock

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rule — a law
  4. rock — music
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rule — government
  7. branch — a division
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chest — of your body
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rock — a stone
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — the season
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chest — a box
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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