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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
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: perch · shower · fine · tube · branch · stem · fork · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mug — a face
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. branch — a division
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. shower — rain
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — all right
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fork — in a road
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tube — a container
  20. mug — a cup
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fine — high quality

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