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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 120 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
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: leaves · perch · file · suit · fall · pass · branch · mine

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. branch — a division
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pass — a permit
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. file — a tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. suit — clothes
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. file — a document
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. branch — of a bank
  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