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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. drill — a practice
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — a division
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — army training
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stock — shares
  24. perch — the fish

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