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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: mark · mouse · cabinet · leaves · perch · branch · hide · sharp

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mark — a trace
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. sharp — clever
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mouse — the animal

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