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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. perch — the fish
  4. file — a tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. file — a document
  7. can — to be able to
  8. drill — a practice
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. drill — army training
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bound — certain
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. drill — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. file — a line of people
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mark — a trace
  24. branch — of a bank

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