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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: wake · plane · branch · cold · lash · coach · perch · bass

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cold — an illness
  3. branch — a division
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. plane — a tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bass — low music
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wake — a trail
  24. plane — an aircraft

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