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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: bulb · spell · perch · bank · leaves · stock · saw · branch

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. stock — shares
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. spell — a short time
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — a division
  15. saw — the tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. stock — goods
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  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