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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. court — of a king
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — a series
  6. drill — the tool
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. court — for sport
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. snap — to click
  14. branch — a division
  15. drill — a practice
  16. court — of law
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. drill — army training
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — hasty

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