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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · safe · cell · nail · perch · net · scale · branch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — the tool
  8. net — in sport
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. scale — size or range
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. drill — a practice
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — army training
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — in music
  23. cell — in biology
  24. nail — for a hammer

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