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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: cap · leaves · bound · lash · branch · straw · perch · squash

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. bound — certain
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a lid
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — the fish
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bound — obliged
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. squash — to crush
  17. squash — the sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bound — tied together
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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