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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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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: perch · toast · content · firm · branch · wave · wound · trunk

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — bread
  3. wound — an injury
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. wound — an injury
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. content — the amount
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. content — happy
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. firm — a company
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. branch — a division

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