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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 120 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: branch · march · nail · stock · wax · spring · perch · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. march — the month
  5. mug — a face
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — to rob
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. branch — a division
  10. march — music
  11. spring — the season
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. spring — of water
  21. wax — to grow
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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