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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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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: temple · board · perch · last · tube · branch · pound · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. last — final
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. tube — a container
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. board — to get on
  21. branch — a division
  22. pound — a weight
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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